Breas



`OlEtVVllLll. NEEDI-IAM,` OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

BREAST-PUMP.

Specification of Letters Patent No.1 11,135, dated June 20, 1854.

To all whom t may concern Be it known thatI, ORwELL H. NEEDHAM, of thecity, county, and` State of New York, have invented certain new anduseful lmf provements in Breast-Pumps,Cupping Apparatus, and the`Shields Therefor; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact descriptionthereof, reference being had to theaccompanying drawing, which forms a part of this specification, inwhich- Figure 1, is a general view of the apparatus tted for a breastpump. F ig. 2, is the cupping glass and shield.

This invention` is for the purpose of so connect-ing the pump bellowswith the nipple shield or cupping shield as that any motion of thebellows from the exertion of pumping will not be communicated to theshield by means of a flexible tube, by which also .the pumping apparatuscan be placed in any convenient position without regard to the positionof the patient, and also in the flexible shields, fitting anyinequalities of surface and applying themselves to the partsconveniently.

The construction is as follows: A bellows or other convenient formed airpump is made as shown at (a), fitted into a box,

which may be also made to pack the other parts of the instrument intowhen not in use. From the induction valve at (o) a flexible tube (c)projects, connecting the bellows pump with the shield. To the end of theflexible tube (c) there is attached a glass reservoir and short pipe,the reservoir (d) being in shape and purpose like a breast pipe ofordinary construction. `The flexible tube is fastened to one end of theshort pipe and the shield to the other. This shield (e) is clearly shownin the drawing. It is an india rubber cup made to fit over the nippleand is yielding, so as to fit and collapse upon it and the partsadjacent; There is a small hole at (f) in the glass pipe, which is to bestopped with the finger when in operation and opened to let the shieldbe removed when desired. The apparatus thus constituted is easy in itsop eration, especially where there is inflammation or tenderness of theparts, a consideration of the greatest importance, and producing resultsnot attainable by any other combination.

The flexible shield has the following advantages: First, those ofsoftness and elasticity, by which a great degree of pain and irritationcaused by the use of glass is obviated in cases of sore nipples orinflamed parts; secondly, the india rubber shield will not act as aligature on the lacteal vessels in breast pumping, which is likely tooccur with a glass shield, and lastly by properly` managing the pump andsupplying air to the glass through the vent hole (j) in the tube theelfect and sensation produced upon the nipple and breast are exactlysimilar to those produced by a sticking child, the shield collapsingdown upon the nipple like the pressure of the childs tongue and other eparts of the mouth.

For cupping the Glass shown at Fig. 2 is attached to the flexible tube(c) in place of the nipple shield. To this glass the india rubber shieldis attached, as shown in Fig. 2. This being elastic can be appliedwit-hout binding the capillary vessels, which difficulty is likely tooccur with the naked glass whenoperating over a bone and great pressureis used.

Having thus fully described my improved apparatus for a breast pump andcupping purposes, what I claim therein as new and for which I desire tosecure Letters Patent 1s- The combination of an air pump operatingsubstantially as above described with a nipple shield or cupping shieldmade of flexible material substantially in the manner and for thepurposes set forth by means of a lexible tube, so that the motion of theworking of the pump will not be felt upon the parts operated upon, sothat the patient can operate it herself and regulate the action in amanner never before eected.

O. H. NEEDHAM.

Witnesses I Trios. E. WARREN, L. D. GOODWIN.

